Terminal



E. A. BIBA TERMINAL Nov. 28, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 13, 1965 E. A. BIBA Nov. 28, 1967 TERMINAL I s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1965 Nov. 28, 1967 E. A. BIBA 3,355,701

TERMINAL Filed July 13, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet (5 United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISI'JLOSURE The invention relates primarily to a solder well terminal comprising a tubular member closed at the bottom and spaced a distance from the top, a plurality of triangular fingers (four being illustrated) are lanced out of the wall to retain a wire or Wires prior to solder dipping. The fingers are bent outwardly at the base portion to form a discontinuous bead abutting the under side of the board in which the terminals are to be mounted. This also serves to shorten the fingers, thus insuring that they clear the sides of the wall from which they are lanced. A plurality of tabs at the top of the terminal are provided which are bent over the top of the board in the staking process. The wall portions remaining between the fingers are bent outward at a point spaced below the bead to form detents which will abut the bottom of an opening in a second board in which the terminal is detachably mounted. Thus, a plurality of the solder well terminals may be mounted in a board of insulating material and the board may be detachably secured to a metal chassis by providing one or more openings in the chassis which receive the latching detents of at least one terminal. An enlarged opening or slot is provided in the chassis to clear the terminals which are not intended to be used as fasteners.

This invention relates in general to electrical terminal connectors. It deals more particularly with solder well terminal connectors of the type illustrated in the Maximoif et al. Patent No. 3,156,517.

Solder well terminal connectors are now used extensively in the assembly of electrical apparatus such as television sets and the like. In one aspect of present practice, series of the solder well terminal connectors are seated in phenolic insulating strip of board members and the assemblies are mounted on chassis elements, while in another aspect, the connectors form components of tube socket assemblies which are mounted on chassis elements. Sometimes individual connectors are utilized. Regardless, the connectors or assemblies are usually conventionally fastened to a corresponding receiving element before wire leads are inserted and soldered.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved solder well terminal connector construction incorporating a fastener arrangement for fastening the connector assembly and/or connector to a receiving element.

It is another object to provide a self-contained fastener arrangement for temporarily fastening solder well terminal connectors or the like to a chassis element in a television set or the like during assembly of the set.

It is still another object to provide a solder well terminal connector construction incorporating a fastener arrangement fabricated from the structure of the connector.

It is still a further object to provide a new and improved male-female connector assembly.

It is yet a further object to provide a mounting arrange ment which facilitates the simple and expeditious establishment and removal of a semipermanent connection between the terminal connectors and a chassis element.

The foregoing and other objects are realized in accord with the present invention by providing a solder well terminal connector wherein means for temporarily fastening 3,355,791 Patented Nov. 28, 1967 the terminal connector or an assembly of the connectors is formed from the body of a solder well terminal connector itself. More specifically, in the extremely successful form of the solder well terminal connector, wherein triangular wire lead gripping fingers are sheared from the side wall of the connector body and bent inwardly therefrom in cantilever relationship so that their free ends terminate immediately adjacent each other at a point spaced a predetermined distance from a closed bottom on the body, those segments of the wall which remain between the sheared out fingers are formed outwardly to a crown. Accordingly, when pressed into an aperture or slot in the chassis of a television set, for example, wherein the width of the slot or aperture is substantially equal to the normal diameter of the solder well body, the outwardly formed segments are compressed and then expand after passage through the slot or aperture to fasten the connector to the chassis.

The solder well terminal connector incorporating a fastener arrangement embodying features of the present invention is thus literally snapped into a mounting slot or aperture. The spring lock which results develops sufficient restraining force to prevent inadvertent removal of the connectors, in strip, board, or socket assembly form, for example, except by a positive lifting of the assembly to remove them.

An additional aspect of the present invention resides in the mounting method and arrangement for semi-permanently securing the snapped in terminals in place in a television chassis, for example. In this light, a tab or bead is formed from the chassis element surrounding the aforedescribed slot or aperture so that it extends down alongside a seated connector. When the connectors are soldered to fix wire lead connections, the corresponding connector or connectors are also securely fixed in the slots or apertures. This solder connection can readily be melted to facilitate removal of the connector or assembly when such is desirable.

Still another aspect of the invention resides in the use of these snap-in connectors as male terminals in a male-female connector assembly. A suitably formed female incorporates means for receiving the expanded crowns of wall segments and retaining them when the male is inserted.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, taken with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a solder well terminal connector strip assembly fastened to a chassis element in a television set or the like according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the connector assembly and chassis element illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of a solder well terminal connector tube socket assembly fastened to a chassis element (only partially shown) in a television set or the like according to the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the tube socket assembly and chassis element illustrated in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a solder well terminal connector incorporating a fastener arrangement embodying features of the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of the terminal connector illustrated in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIGURE 5, illustrating the terminal connector seated in a terminal strip and having a wire lead inserted in the connector;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged side elevational view, partially in section,

of a single solder well terminal connector embodying features of the present invention in as sembly with a terminal connector strip and fastened to a chassis element of a television set or the like;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a female connector for a male-female connector assembly according to the present invention; and

FIGURE 10 is an exploded side elevational view of the connector assembly of FIGURE 9.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, a solder well terminal connector assembly is illustrated generally at 10. The assembly 10 includes an elongated phenolic insulation strip 11 having a series of solder well terminal connectors 12 staked in apertures 13 through the strip 11. Each of the terminal connectors 12 is modified according to the present invention to form a fastener arrangement 14 for temporarily retaining the connector and, accordingly, the assembly 10 on the chassis member 15 of a conventional television set (not shown) or the like.

The chassis member 15, which might be fabricated of light sheet steel, has an elongated cutout punched in it for receiving the connectors 12. The cutouts 20 terminate short of the outermost connector 12a on each end of the assembly 10, however, and narrow slots 21 having stepped side edges 22 are formed by shearing corresponding tabs 25 downwardly from the steel sheet. The stepped portions 22a of the side edges 22 are inclined so as to be substantially tangent to corresponding connectors 12a. The slots 21 are adapted to receive the end connectors 12a and their edges 22, 22a cooperate with the fastener arrangements 14 to temporarily retain the connectors 12a and, accordingly, the assembly 10 on the chassis member 15.

The fastener arrangement 14 of each end connector 121: is designed to temporarily afiix the assembly 10 to the chassis element 15 during assembly, including wiring, of a television set, for example. The width of each slot 21 in its widest portion adacent its outer end is substantially equal to the normal diameter of a corresponding connector 12a. The fastener arrangements 14 enlarge the diameters on these connectors, however. Accordingly, when the connectors 12a are pressed through corresponding slots 21, the fastener arrangements 14 are first compressed and then snap outwardly below the chassis element 1. As a result, the assembly 10 is fixed against being jolted off or inadvertently removed from the chassis element during set construction.

Once wiring has been completed, a more permanent mounting of the assembly 10 on the chassis element 15 is desirable. A semipermanent mounting is achieved during pot soldering of the leads 28 in the end connectors 12a by simultaneously completing a solder connection 30 between these connectors and corresponding tabs 25 to form a semipermanent mounting arrangement 31. To make the mounting arrangement 31 even more attractive, merely touching the solder connections 30 with a hot soldering iron is sufficient to release the assembly 10 for removal from the chassis element 15 by snapping it out of the slots 21.

Turning to FIGURES 3 and 4, terminal connectors 12 embodying features of the present invention are illustrated in a wafer tube socket assembly 110. The tube socket assembly 110 includes a series of eight standard solder well terminal connectors 101 and pin contacts M2, in subassemblies 103 and mounted in a well-known manner on roughly diamond shaped phenolic wafers 105. The wafers 105 sandwich the strips (not shown) which join the connectors 101 and the contacts 102 in a well-known manner.

A terminal connector 12 embodying features of the present invention is mounted on each end of the assembly 110 through corresponding apertures 113 punched in the phenolic wafers 105. A fastener arrangement 14 on each connector 12 temporarily afiixes the tube socket assembly 110 of a chassis element 115 in a manner similar to 4 that in which the strip assembly 10 was described as being afiixed to the chassis element 15.

A generally circular cutout 120 is formed in the chassis element 115 for receiving the connectors 101. The connectors 12, on the other hand, snap through apertures 121 formed on the opposite sides of the circle 120. The apertures 121 have downwardly extending beads 125 around them. The beads 125 are semiperrnanently secured to corresponding connectors 12 when wire leads (not shown) are soldered in the connectors 101 and 12 by pot soldering, forestalling compression of the fastener arrangements 14.

Turning to FIGURES 58, one of these terminal connectors 12 is illustrated in detail. The terminal connector 12 illustrated in FIGURES 5-8 comprises a generally circular cylindrical body 40 fabricated from one piece of plated (or unplated) brass or the like. The body 40 iu= cludes a side wall 41 having a closed bottom 42 thereon. The closed bottom 42 is formed of four generally triangular tabs 43 bent inwardly from the lower edge of the side wall 41. In practice, a wire lip is usually formed from the lower edge of the side wall 41 and bent over the closed bottom 42 for retaining a separate wire lead, but it is not illustrated here since it forms no part of the present invention. In this light, the number and arrangement of tabs forming the closed bottom 42 of the solder well body 40 might vary considerably in practice.

The upper end of the side wall 41 is open, as at 47, to permit the insertion of one or more of the wire leads 28. The wire leads 28 are properly positioned in the body 40 of the connector 12 by abutting against the closed bottom 42 of the body. The leads 28 are retained in the body 40 prior to pot soldering or the like by spring fingers sheared inwardly from the side wall 41 of the body.

There are preferably four of these fingers 55 and they are generally triangular in shape. The fingers 55 are sheared from the wall 41 so that their free ends 56 form the apices of the triangles. The fingers 55 are cantilevered inwardly of the connector body wall 41 so that their free ends 56 terminate immediately adjacent each other. Accordingly, the wire leads 28 inserted into the connector body 40 from the open end 47 thereof are snugly retained in the body by the friction of the fingers 55 bearing against them, as illustrated in FIGURE 7.

To provide more effective resiliency to the spring fingers 55; to shorten them so they will not interfere with the triangular cutouts 60 which remain in the connector wall 41 when the fingers 55 are sheared inwardly (when the insertion of wire leads 28 causes the fingers to flex outwardly) and to act as a stop for positioning the terminal connector body 40 in a connector strip 11, for example, spring curls 61 are formed in the fingers 55 immediately adjacent their juncture 66 with the side wall 41 of the body 40. These spring curls 61 are formed by bending a portion of a loop in the spring fingers 55 adjacent the juncture 66.

Referring specifically to FIGURE 7, a connector 12 is shown seated in a strip 11. The connector 12 is initially seated in a corresponding aperture 13 by inserting the circular cylindrical upper wall portion 70 of the body 40 through a corresponding aperture until the spring curls 61 engage the strip. A plurality of tabs 71 (five are illustrated here), formed upwardly from the upper edge 72 of the side wall portion 70, are then bent outwardly over the phenolic strip 11 to grip the strip 11 tightly between these tabs 71 and the spring curls 61. Each terminal connector 12 is accordingly solidly staked in the phenolic strip 11.

The fastener arrangement 14 which retains the strip assembly 10, for example, temporarily afiixed to the chassis element 15 before soldering of the wire leads 28, is formed from the wall segments of the terminal connector side wall 41 which remain between the cutouts 60 left by the formation of the spring fingers 55. Each of the four segments 80 is bowed outwardly of the normal diameter of the solder well terminal connector body 40, during die forming of the connector 12, to form a crown 81. Short upper sections 82 of the segments 80 converge inwardly from corresponding crowns 81 to the side wall 41 to form lips 85 spaced a predetermined distance from the spring curls 61. This predetermined distance is dictated by the thickness of the chassis element in which the connector 12 is to be seated. Long lower sections 86 of the segments 80 converge inwardly from the crown to the side wall 41 of the connector.

When a television set, for example, is being assembled, suitable cutouts and 120 are formed in the chassis elements 15 and 115, respectively, to receive corresponding assemblies 10 and 110. Referring specifically to a strip assembly 10, the slots 21 are then formed in the chassis element 15 by shearing tabs therefrom and bending them downwardly into perpendicular relationship with the body of the element. The tabs 25 are formed of a predetermined width determined by the normal diameter of the solder terminal connectors 12, as has been pointed out. Their stepped side edges 22 are formed so that adjacent the outer ends of the slots 21 they are spaced the diameter of the solder well body 40.

The assembly 10 is then fastened'to the chassis element 15 by pressing the end terminal connectors 12a through corresponding slots 21. The lower sections 86 of the outwardly bowed wall segments 80 of the connector 12 are compressed by the side edges 22 of the slots 21 as they are forced through the slot. In this light, it should be noted that the terminal connectors 12 are oriented in the strips 11 so that one pair of oppositely disposed wall segments 80 is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the receiving slots 21 and the oppositely disposed pair is disposed directly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the slots.

This orientation is established to assure that the maximum amount of total lip 85 area on the segments 80 will underlie the chassis element 15 when the connector 12 has been pressed through a corresponding slot 21, of course.

When a terminal connector 12a. has been pressed through a corresponding slot 21 to the point where the crowns 81 of the corresponding segments 80 have passed through the slot, the compressed segments 80 immediately snap outwardly. The lips 85 of the now bowed segments 80 thus underlie the edges 22 of corresponding slots 21 and retain the terminal connector in snapped in relationship on the chassis element 15. The thickness of the chassis element 15 is such that it is retained snugly between the spring curls 61 and the lips 85 as illustrated in FIGURE 8.

Where apertures 121 are formed with beads 125 depending therefrom, as illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, for example, the wall segments 80 of the connectors 12 are formed outwardly so that their crowns 81 and retaining lips 85 are spaced a greater distance from the spring curls 61. This greater spacing is to accommodate the length of the bead 125, of course, under which the lips 85 are retained. When a connector 12 containing a lead 28 is seated in an aperture 121 and solder introduced to the connector, the outwardly bowed segments 80 are fixed in their distended relationship by the hardened solder and the connector cannot be withdrawn from the aperture 121 until this solder is melted. Melting the solder facilitates easy removal of the connector 12 from the aperture 121, however.

According to the present invention the terminal connector 12 has other applications and, in fact, readily forms the male component of a male-female connector assembly 210 illustrated in FIGURES 9 and 10. In an assembly 210 a solder well terminal connector 12 of the type hereinbefore described in substantial detail is received in a female receptacle 211 mounted on an insulator strip 212 or the like and the fastener arrangement 14 on the connector 12 retains the male connector in the female receptacle 211 before solder is introduced to the connector 12. In this way, a solder well terminal connector 12 can readily be utilized as a male connector for one or IIlOI leads 28.

The female receptacle 211 is formed of sheet metz and comprises a stem section 215 mounted on the insult tor strip 212 by folding cleats 216 and a lip 216a. A char nel section 217 for receiving the connector 12' extend longitudinally from the section 215. The channel sectio: 217 includes a floor 220 and upstanding, slightly converg ing side walls 221 and 222. The floor 220 and each of th side Walls 221 and 222 have transversely extending slot 225 formed therein adjacent the open mouth 230 of th section 217 for receiving and retaining the crowns 8 of the solder well connector 12 when it is inserted in th receptacle 211.

The connector 12 usually has one or more wires 2: soldered in it before insertion in the receptacle 211, how ever. Accordingly, it is the walls 221 and 222 of tilt channel section 211 which eXpand to permit passage 0 the semipermanently rigidified wall segments am crowns 81 of the fastener arrangement 14.

The terminal connectors 12 have been described i1 assembly with strips 11, wafers and female terminal: 211. It will be recognized, however, that they might bi incorporated in other assemblies for fastening to a sup port element or the like. Furthermore, although the spring curls 61 act as limit stops for chassis elemen' penetration in certain of the assemblies described, they might be eliminated and other stop means provided.

What is claimed is:

1. In a solder well terminal connector including at elongated hollow body having a side wall, a closed bottom, an open top, and a plurality of wire lead gripping fingers formed inwardly from the wall leaving cutouts in the wall separated by wall segments, the improvement comprising: a fastener arrangement for retaining the connector in a mounting aperture, said fastener arrangement including at least one of said wall segments formed outwardly of the normal transverse dimensions of the body, whereby said at least one segment serves to retain the connector in the aperture when the connector body is pressed through the aperture and the connector.

2. The improvement in solder well terminal connector of claim 1 further characterized in that said at least one segment is radially compressible to retain the connector.

3. The improvement in solder well terminal connector of claim 2 further characterized in that said at least one wall segment is formed outwardly to a crown disposed radially outside of the normal transverse dimensions of the connector body, and stop means on said body longitudinally spaced from said crown, the passage of said crown through the aperture permitting said at least one outwardly formed segment to expand and retain the connector in the aperture against said stop means.

4. The improvement in solder well terminal connector of claim 3 further characterized by and including a re taining lip formed on said at least one wall segment adjacent said crown.

5. In a solder well terminal connector including an elongated hollow body having a side wall, a closed bottom, an open top, and a plurality of wire lead gripping fingers formed inwardly from the wall leaving cutouts in the wall separated by wall segments, the improvement comprising: a fastener arrangement for retaining the connector in a mounting aperture, said fastener arrange ment including at least two oppositely disposed wall segments formed outwardly of the normal transverse dimensions of the body, whereby said at least two segments are compressed when the connector body is pressed through the aperture and the connector is retained in the aperture.

6. The improvement in solder well terminal connector of claim 5 further characterized in that said fastener arrangement is formed of four of said wall segments, each of said four wall segments being formed outwardly to a crown disposed radially outside of the normal transverse imensions of the connetcor body, and stop means on aid body longitudinally spaced from said crowns, the :assage of said crowns through the aperture permitting aid outwardly formed segments to expand and retain the onnector in the aperture against said stop means.

7. The improvement in solder well terminal connector f claim 6 further characterized by and including a reaining lip formed on each of said four wall segments .djacent a corresponding crown.

8. A solder well terminal connector, comprising: an longated hollow body, said hollow body having a side vall, a closed bottom, and an open top, a plurality of wire sad gripping fingers formed inwardly from said wall in adially spaced relationship around said wall, the formng of said wire lead gripping fingers leaving cutouts in aid wall separated by wall segments extending longitulinally of said body, at least one of said wall segments )eing formed outwardly of the normal transverse dimenions of said body, whereby said at least one segment is :ompressed when the connector is pressed through an tperture formed in an element and having corresponding ransverse dimensions substantially equal to said normal ransverse dimensions, expansion at said at least one segment after passage substantially through the aperture :erving to retain the connector in the aperture.

9. The terminal connector of claim 2 further characerized in that said at least one wall segment is formed utwardly to a crown disposed radially outside of the rormal transverse dimensions of the connector body, a etaining lip formed on said one wall segment adjacent laid crown, and stop means on said body between said )pen top and said lip, said stop means and lip retaining .he element between them.

10. The solder well terminal connector of claim 8 further characterized by and including at least four of said wall segments formed outwardly of the normal transverse dimensions of said body.

11. A mounting arrangement for semipermanently ifiixing a solder well terminal connector to a chassis clenen-t or the like, comprising: means formed out of said :hassis element so as to leave an opening of predetermined transverse dimension in the element, a solder well terminal connector extending through said opening, said solder well terminal connector comprising an elongated hollow body, said hollow body having a side wall, a closed bottom, and an open top, a plurality of wire lead gripping fingers formed inwardly from said wall in radially spaced relationship around said wall, the forming of said wire lead gripping fingers leaving cutouts in said Wall separated by wall segments extending longitudinally of said body, at least one of said wall segments being formed outwardly of the normal transverse dimensions of said body, whereby said at least one segment is compressed when the connector is pressed through said opening, expansion of said at least One segment after passage substantially through said opening serving to temporarily retain the connector in said opening, and solder means semipermanently holding said at least one segment expanded to prevent removal of the connector from said opening. p

12. The mounting arrangement of claim 11 further characterized in that extension means comprises a bead around said opening, said at least one wall segment expanding under said bead.

13. In a solder well terminal connector assembly in cluding a solder well terminal connector seated in a mounting member wherein the terminal connector includes an elongated hollow body having a side wall, a closed bottom, an open top, and a plurality of wire lead gripping fingers formed inwardly from the wall leaving cutouts in the wall separated by Wall segments, the improvement comprising: a fastener arrangement for retaining the connector assembly in an aperture through support means, said fastener arrangement including at least one of said wall segments formed outwardly of the normal transverse dimensions of the body, whereby said at least one segment is compressed when the connector body is pressed through the aperture so as to retain the assembly on the support means.

14. A male-female connector assembly comprising: a female terminal connector including a longitudinally extending receiving passage defined by wall means, recess means formed in said wall means extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of said passage, a solder well terminal connector seated in said receiving passage, said solder well terminal connector comprising an elongated hollow body, said hollow body having a side wall, a closed bottom and an open top, a plurality of wire lead gripping fingers formed inwardly from said wall in radially spaced relationship around said wall, the forming of said wire lead gripping fingers leaving cutouts in said wall separated by wall segments extending longitudinally of said body, said wall segments being formed outwardly of the normal transverse dimensions of said body to corresponding crowns, said crowns extending into said recess means in the wall means of said female terminal connector to retain said solder well receiving passage in said terminal connector.

15. The male-female connector assembly of claim 14 further characterized in that said wall means comprises a base wall and a pair of upstanding side walls, insertion of said solder well terminal connector into said receiving passage after wire leads have been soldered in said solder well terminal connector causing at least one of said walls in said female terminal connector to bend outwardly and permit the insertion of the male terminal connector to the point where said crowns seat in corresponding recesses.

16. The male-female connector assembly of claim 14 further characterized in that said recess means comprise slots extending through corresponding walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,842,025 1/1932 Huebner 339-127 2,803,000 8/1957 Iohanson 339-128 X 2,870,424 l/1959 Franz 339l28 X 2,877,441 3/1959 Norozny 339l26 X 2,980,880 4/1961 Winkler et al. 339-l28 X 3,007,599 11/1961 Greasley 339-l28 X 3,020,437 2/1962 Horan 339-128 X 3,156,517 11/1964 Maximoff et al. 339220 3,283,288 11/1966 Biba et al. 339217 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,355,701 November 28, 1967 Edward A. Biba It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

line 26 for the claim reference numeral "2" re:

Column 7, 8 line 30, after "said" insert at least column 8, line 33, for "receiving passage" read terminal connector line 34, for "terminal connector" read receiving passage Signed and sealed this 10th day of December 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. IN A SOLDER WELL TERMINAL CONNECTOR INCLUDING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW BODY HAVING A SIDE WALL, A CLOSED BOTTOM, AN OPEN TOP, AND A PLURALITY OF WIRE LEAD GRIPPING FINGERS FORMED INWARDLY FROM THE WALL LEAVING CUTOUTS IN THE WALL SEPARATED BY WALL SEGMENTS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A FASTENER ARRANGEMENT FOR RETAINING THE CONNECTOR IN A MOUNTING APERTURE, SAID FASTENER ARRANGEMENT INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID WALL SEGMENTS FORMED OUTWARDLY OF THE NORMAL TRANSVERSE DIMENSIONS OF THE BODY, WHEREBY SAID AT LEAST ONE SEGMENT SERVES TO RETAIN THE CONNECTOR IN THE APERTURE WHEN THE CONNECTOR BODY IS PRESSED THROUGH THE APERTURE AND THE CONNECTOR. 